School's out: time to let your hair down

July has arrived and that can mean only one thing: students, cameras and a whole bunch of creativity!

In Vietnam, July is usually the time for final-year students to say goodbye to their universities or high schools, marking a milestone in their young lives. So of course, following that big event comes a party and celebration.

Tradition has it that students dress up and take photos at their universities and other famous spots as a way to remember their days at school.

If you are in Hanoi at the moment, do not be surprised to see some well-known destinations such as the Temple of Literature - Vietnam's first national university - and the Imperial Citadel flooded with young students in their graduation clothes or with girls in traditional 'ao dai' and boys in suits taking photos.

In Saigon, popular spots to take graduation photos include Nguyen Hue pedestrian street, Duc Ba Church Square and the Hung Kings' Temple in District 9.

However, creative minds have broken from traditional graduation photography to create their own drama. Yes, it's not just photos anymore. They now have a story to tell.

Recently, graduation photos taken by Le Cao Hai in Hoi An's ancient town for students from Hanoi-based University of Industrial Fine Arts went viral online due to their creativity. Students posed for photos as if they were making their own thrilling movie.

Unlike the mysterious photos above, high school students from the central province of Ha Tinh decided to bring back childhood memories by taking photos in the field. Photos by Vu Giap.

Girls tie their hair like children in Vietnam usually do and play with a skipping rope.

At the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, where guys dominate the student population, male students found their own ways to make graduation photos special.

The end of a long school year.

Another gratudation photo album that quickly spread online in 2014 featured these hilarious scenes. The class pretended they were holding a wedding with the 'bride' made up like a girl.